Grand Director

Origin of the Other Captain America!

William Burnside, the man who would become the fourth official Captain America, was eleven years old when the first Captain America was created. Throughout World War II era, he idolized Captain America, and was shocked to learn of the original's supposed death in 1945. Although Truman hired William Naslund to replace the then lost Steve Rogers in the role of Captain America, the boy suspected the truth that Naslund was not the original Captain.

In the early 1950s after Jeffrey Mace had retired from adventuring as Captain America, William Burnside graduated with a Ph.D in American History, having done his thesis on the life of Captain America. In 1953 he flew to Germany, and examined the files of Major Kerfoot, a Nazi espionage officer in the SS. He discovered that the papers contained the original Super-Soldier Formula. He revealed his discovery to certain high officials in the US government, and made a deal with the FBI for the formula whereby he would become the new Captain America, and act as a symbol during the Korean War.

The FBI accepted his offer to act as the new Captain America for the formula. Burnside had his name legally changed to "Steven Rogers" and underwent extensive plastic surgery and vocal chord reconstruction to alter his appearance and voice to match that of the original. However by the time he had successfully become a physical duplicate to the original Steve Rogers, the Korean conflict ended. Deeming the need for an open patriotic symbol no longer needed, the FBI cancelled his operation as the successive Captain America. However, the FBI did not abandon "Steven Rogers" and established him with a teaching position at the elite preparatory school LeHigh in Connecticut. It is here that "Rogers" started wearing glasses and took to smoking a pipe as he adjusted to life without his super-heroic ambitions. But more importantly, it is at LeHigh where "Rogers" met Jack Monroe, a teenage boy who shared "Rogers" heroic worship of Captain America. "Rogers" developed a close friendship with Monroe and ultimately revealed his own past to Monroe which would led to their actual costume beginning as the 1950s Captain America and Bucky.

When in late 1953 the Red Skull reappeared and seized the United Nations, holding the delegates as hostage, "Rogers" and Monroe decided to directly attack the Re-emerged Skull feeling that they would psychologically unbalance the Red Skull and defeat him. "Rogers" and Monroe injected themselves with the recreated super-soldier formula and donned the costumes of Captain America and Bucky and attacked the Skull. As they had thought, the re-appearance of the thought to be original Cap did unnerve the Skull and the United Nation delegates were saved by "Rogers" and Monroe. It was later revealed that this Red Skull, was not the original German World War II mastermind but a communist spy.

Deciding to capitalize on the return of the supposed original Cap, the FBI allowed "Rogers" to continue in the role as a selective operative for their locale raids and attacks against Communist and anti-American fifth columnist activities. The new Captain America and Bucky fought such foes as Electro and The Man with No Face.

Unlike their predecessors, the new Captain America and Bucky didn't associate with the super-powered team the Invaders/ All-Winners Squad, Namor and former-Captain America Jeff Mace both dismissed the new Captain America as having not earnt the title and "being all meat and bones". Although "Steve Rogers" did work alongside, the real Captain America's ally, Nick Fury in uncovering a fifth-columnist plot, Fury shared the sentiment that while this new Captain America was physically skilled he was nothing more than a "phoney and a fraud".

As the duo continued to fight for their country, without using the Vita-Rays process to stabilize the formula they took, both "Rogers" and Monroe began to slowly go insane, beginning to brutalize anyone they thought might be against American interests not just communists. Jeff Mace considered returning to his Patriot guise and trying to stop the new duo, however, he ultimately opted not to.

Mayor Story Arcs

The Shadows of the Past

The four original Captain Americas were all plucked from different parts of the timestream transported to an artifical Earth by the Contemplator as a test of Mace's self worth as a legitimate Captain and his pending death from inoperable cancer. On this artifical Earth, Mace and his post World War II allies had failed to stop the evil Horton created Android Adam from killing John F. Kennedy and conquering that Earth. The Contemplator had Mace rejuvenated into a young man as he originally was at this same timeframe, and paired with the real Steve Rogers to "save the day" again as he had done in the real history.

While Mace and Rogers were off in a different locale, the 1950s "Rogers" was paired with Naslund. "Rogers" and Naslund decided to attack a human into robot processing and conversion factory. Rescuing the humans from the robot guards, "Rogers" was surprised and repulsed to find out that the humans he just rescued were totally unfamilar with the concept of freedom and justice. Feeling they were not real Americans for not even having a base understanding about freedom, "Rogers" left them rather than trying to safeguard the freed humans from the remaining robots. Naslund felt all life should be protected and sought to educate the humans to the concepts of personal liberty. However more robots guards attacked and killed Naslund and converted him and the freed human into robot drones. The robots later found "Rogers" and killed him as well. "Rogers" was likewise converted into a robotic cyborg who retained his original personality though repressed. Revived as a robotic guard, "Rogers" was completely destroyed by Adam II when he attempted to rebel.

Upon Mace's and Rogers' defeat and destruction of Adam II, the Contemplator eliminated this timeline and returned all four Captain Americas to their proper place and time. Only the Contemplator, the real Steve Rogers and Jeff Mace remembered the events, while Naslund and 1950s "Rogers" were both revived though completely unaware of all events of this adventure.

Captain America: Hero or Hoax?

Finally, in late 1955, government officials, unable to persuade "Rogers" and Monroe to undergo treatment, captured them and placed them in suspended animation at a government facility in the South. Under the top-secret “Deep Freeze” program, cryogenic suspension’s effects upon the duo were studied, but scientists were unable to treat their madness, and the duo were eventually all but forgotten by the US government.

Later, a government employee displeased with US policies released "Rogers" and Monroe, both still insane, into the modern day world. Learning of the-then current Captain America's activities, they presumed him to be a would-be successor working with communists. "Rogers" infiltrated the Avengers pretending to be the real Captain America, stole a quinjet and managed to capture the real Captain America and his associates, the Falcon and Sharon Carter. Belatedly realizing his opponent was the true Captain America, "Rogers" suffered a nervous breakdown, allowing Jack and himself to be defeated.

A Plan for America

The duo returned from suspended animation again, however this time were more tactful in their battles against communism. They fought against small-time criminals and super-villains while riding on the reputation of the original Captain America. While they came across as the real deal in their pretending to be legitimate heroes, the duo worked in private to try and eliminate their perceived threat of communism. They considered attempting to recruit the Fantastic Four for their cause but they believed they may in fact be communist sympathisers. They were approached by a man representing The Committee to Regain America's Principles, displaying knowledge of the duo's origin and played on their patrioticism to form an alliance between the two.

The duo rose to prominence when this Captain America began backing a senator at the behest of his new partners who shared similar designs for a "safer America" as the two costumed characters. Public opinion on the senator was easily swayed with the support of what appeared to be Captain America and things were looking bad. The country was thrown into a state of disray, paranoia, and martial law, which climaxed with an showdown between the two Captain Americas, Nick Fury and "Bucky", and Spider-Man and the imposter's team of " Avengers" (consisting of the villanous Hangman and actors pretending to be Hawkeye and Golden Girl). The duo were subdued and once again apprehended.

If America Should Die

The government sent "Rogers" and Monroe to a Catskills mental institution, secretly managed by Captain America’s enemy Doctor Faustus for the Corporation. After several Corporation setbacks, Faustus, having developed a mind-control gas, sought to control New York via the fascistic National Force. Faustus tested the gas on "Rogers" and Monroe, then sadistically ordered "Rogers" to shoot Monroe. "Rogers" did so, unaware his gun was filled with blanks. Believing he had killed his longtime friend, although Monroe survived and was eventually taken into SHIELD custody, ultimately becoming the costumed hero Nomad. Faustus established "Rogers" as the Grand Director of the fascistic National Force, who spread Faustus’ mind-gas during pre-arranged confrontations intended as prelude to infecting all of New York City. Aided by Daredevil, the real Captain America defeated the Grand Director, Faustus, and the National Force. During which, "Rogers" overheard Faustus boast to a captive Sharon Carter about Monroe’s supposed death, "Rogers", losing his last shred of sanity, attempted to commit suicide via the incineration device in his uniform, his thoughts on a betrayal he had never actually perpetrated.

The Death of Captain America

It was later revealed that "Rogers" had survived his attempted suicide though was badly burned in certain parts of his body, notably his torso where the flame bomb was activated. "Rogers" was kept in a catatonic state awaiting deployment if he could be successfully controlled after the murder of the original Steve Rogers. When revived as part of the Red Skull's plan to use Sharon Carter's baby with the real Rogers, the 1950s "Rogers" was released to attack and kill Bucky Barnes who had succeeded the now dead Steve Rogers as Captain America.

"Rogers" learned that Barnes had killed his former partner, Jack Monroe, and at the conditioning of Dr. Faustus, sought to kill Barnes in retribution for the murder of the former 1950s Bucky. Barnes tried to reason with the 1950s Rogers and almost succeeded as he admitted his sorrow in actually killing Monroe. But due to a brain implant, the 1950s Rogers was enraged to continue to seek Barnes' death rather than trying to come to some acceptance on the past misdeed while Barnes himself was mentally controlled. He then ran away from the Skull but was unfortunately captured by his AIM operatives. The Skull ordered that "Rogers" be secured so that Faustus can recondition him. However, unknown to him, Faustus had secretly betrayed the Skull to SHIELD.

When SHIELD attacks the Red Skull's base, "Rogers" escapes his bonds. He then punctured the current robot body of Arnim Zola, before escaping. "Rogers" is currently evaluating his place in the modern world as a a man out of time just as the real Steve Rogers did when he was revived. But unlike Rogers, who was seeking to adapt to the modern time, the 1950s "Rogers" would rather try to make the world adjust to him, believing that it no longer makes sense to him as it did back in his time.

Two Americas / The Heroic Age

Feeling that the present-day United States had turned away from its core ideals and more honest basis as remembered during his own childhood, "Rogers" went on a exploration of the United States. Ending up his original hometown of Boise, Idaho, he reflected on the current political and economic distress of the United States. Deciding that the current government turned away from its duties and had failed its citizens, he decided it was best to overthrow the government and restart a new one that would reflect his outdated and over-conservative ideals.

Joining with the Watchdog, a militant group of militiamen, "Rogers" began his rebellion. "Rogers's" actions were observed by SHIELD Director Fury who asked Barnes to interceded rather than directly ask the revived original Steve Rogers to face off against his 1950s successor. Barnes asked Sam Wilson to aid him on capturing the 1950s "Rogers" and his Watchdog supporters. Barnes and Wilson found that "Rogers" was planning to make an open symbolic attack on the current government and the more liberal policies of the past administrations by destroying Hoover Dam.

Upon his confrontation with Barnes, he forced Barnes to wear a copy of his own World War II Bucky costume. Failing to make Barnes switch to his point of view and overthrow the current government "Rogers" directly fought against Barnes. Barnes was able to catch "Rogers" shield in flight and use it to disable the bomb on Hoover Dam.

Barnes shot "Rogers" when he stated he would not stop in his plans to overthrow and reformat the "corrupt government". "Rogers" fell into the water below the dam. While Barnes believed that he killed the 1950s Rogers, 1950s Rogers' body was not recovered and is suggested to have escaped his fate once again.

The real Steve Rogers later expressed desire to try and help Burnside reform, wishing to give him treatment and psychiatric help to help him re-enter society, but as Burnside is currently missing, Steve hasn't been able to help him.

Powers and Abilities

William Burnside has superhuman strength. His agility, dexterity, speed, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance are superior to those of any Olympic athlete, and his physiological functions operate at the peak of human efficiency. He also has an accelerated healing factor that regenerates his injuries and keep him young & healthy.

He is a trained boxer and a competent hand-to-hand combatant. As the 1950s Captain America, he wears a chain-mail costume (his 1950s version was distinguishable from the World War II Captain America's costume in that his 1950s costume torso stripes did not fully encircle the costume's waist) and carried a bulletproof steel shield which was destroyed.

Following his first revival from suspended animation, he briefly used an "atom-blaster" weapon, presumably salvaged from a government lab. As a member of the National Force, he had access to various forms of advanced technology.

His current Captain America costume is an exact match to the first Rogers' primary current costume and carries a new round shield that has survived blows with the "indestructible" round shield now used by Barnes. The exact composition of this new shield has not been revealed as yet.